Bullet-proof cuirass.



10 KEILL. BULLET PBOOF'GUIBASS. APPLICATION FILED EAR. 23, 1908. I

Patented Sept 12, 191-1.

\ ITED tW-ENT OFFICE.

CARL KEILL, 0F MUNICH, GERMANY.

BULLET-PROOF CUIRASS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

. Application filed March 23, 1908. Serial No. 422,835.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it'known that I, CARL KEILL, citizen of Germany, residing at Munich, Bavaria, Germany, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Bullet-Proof Cuirasses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a bulletproof cuirass, consisting of a protective sheathing of one or more layers of steel bands and plates of india rubber or similar. elastic material, arranged on or in a frame Reference being had to the accompanying drawing, Figure l shows-the front part of such a cuirass in perspective, Fig. 2 is a cross section through this front part and Fig. 3 a similar view of a modification.

As may be seen from this drawing, this part of the cuirass consists of a frame, a, of aluminium, in this case of U-shaped section,

to which the single units of the protective sheathing areriveted or screwed. This sheathing consists in the first place of a number of steel bands (1)) arranged flatwise parallel or nearly parallelto one another and at a distance of about 1/25 of an inch from each other. Behind these steel bands, and ata distance from them of about one half inch, a plate of india-rubber a or other similar elastic material, 0, approximately one half inch thick, is arranged; if necessary, a further protective sheathing of steel bands (d) may be arranged directly behind this plate of india rubber. It is advisable to add a further plate of. added aluminium, in order to insure a uni orm and easy fitting of the cuirass on the body of the wearer; this latter plate is represented in Fig. 3. --As shown in this figure, this modified construction of the cuirassconsists of the flatwise substantially parallel steel bands I), d secured to the frame a together with the elastic plate 0 in the, same manner as described straps attached to holes or the like of the aluminium frame '(a) are passed over the back of the wearer to secure the culrass to his body.

It will be obvious that'an armor plate of the kind here described may serve not only as a body protection, but may also be adapted for the protection of ships or the like.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In a bullet-proof cuirass, an open frame of rigid material, in combination with a series of substantially parallel outwardly curved bands of rigid resisting material arranged flatwise and mounted in and spanning the open space within the periphery of the frame soas to leave narrow spaces between the bands, and a backing sheet of elastic material arranged behind the bands.

2. In a bullet-proof cuirass, an open frame and a series of substantially parallel outwardly curved metal bands arranged flatwise and spanning the open space in said frame so as to leave narrow spaces between the adjacent bands, in combination with an elastic backing also mounted in said frame.

' 3. In a bullet-proof cuirass, an open frame having upright stays arranged to be adjacent to the side of the wearer, in combination with a series of substantially parallel transverse outwardly curved bands of rigid resisting material arranged flatwise between and secured with their ends to said upright stays, whereby said transverse bands are supported independently of the body of the wearer.

4. In "a bullet-proof cuirass, an open metal frame having upright stays arranged to be adjacent to the sides of the wearer and U-shaped in cross-section, in combination with a series of substantially parallel outwardly curved bands, arranged flatwise between and secured with their ends to said upright stays, whereby said transverse bands are supported independently of the body of the wearer.

5. In a bullet-proof cuirass, an open metal I frame of aluminum having upright stays arranged to be adjacent to the body of the wearer, in combination with a series of substantially parallel resilient outwardly curved metal bands, arranged fiatwise within the open space of said frame and secured at their ends to said upright stays, whereby said transverse bands are supported independently of the body of the wearer.

6. In a bullet-proof cuirass, an open metal frame of aluminum having upright stays arranged to be adjacent to the side of the wearer, in combination with a series of substantially parallel outwardly curved resilient metal bands, arranged flatwise within the open space of said frame and secured at their ends to said upright stays whereby said bands are held in position independently of the body of the wearer, the said bands being separated by narrow spaces.

7. In a bullet-proof cuirass, an open frame of resisting material, in combination with a series of substantially parallel outwardly curved bands of resisting material secured at their ends to the frame and spanning the opening within the periphery of. the frame.

8. In a bullet-proof cuirass, a frame having upright supporting stays arranged to be adjacent to the sides of the wearer, in combination with a series of substantially parallel outwardly curved bands arranged flatwise and secured with their ends to the stays and a backing sheet of elastic material arranged behind the bands.

9. In a bullet-proof cuirass, a frame and a series of substantially parallel metal bands mounted in said frame and separated by narrow spaces between the adjacent bands, in combination with an elastic backing and a second series of substantially parallel metal bands arranged behind the elastic backing and also mounted in the frame.

10. In a bullet-proof cuirass, an aluminum frame in combination with a series of substantially parallel steel bands secured with their ends to the frame and having narrow spaces between the adjacent bands, and an india rubber backing sheet also secured to the frame.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CARL KEILL.

Witnesses:

ABRAHAM SOHLEsINGER, LOUIS FJMUELLER. 

